In 2012, he won a hard-fought battle to lead the Republican Study Committee -- at the time, the most conservative bloc of Republicans in the House. Later, when then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was upset in a 2014 primary race, Scalise ran and won the spot as House majority whip -- the third-ranking Republican in the House.

Scalise won the House seat in Louisiana that was vacated by Bobby Jindal when he ran for governor in 2007.